Automobile-sled.



c. Mmmm.

AUTOMGBILB SLBD.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11, 1909.

Iatented Apr. 5, 1910.

8 SHEETS-SHEET l- Willmn C Nieman 'r1 I "ff-:4.

Chlo: nu

W. o. NIBMANN.'

AUTOHQABILE BLED.

uruon'xol mman :un: n, nov.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

3 BREHTI-IHBBT 2.

Qin

L.. Cn

QHWHOL Wlldm C Niemmm UNITEIS'- 'sTaTss PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM C. NIEMANN, WALTZ, MICHIGN.

AUTOHOIBILE-SLED.

Specification o! Letters ateat.

ilatented Apr. 5, 1910.

Application tled June 11, 1909. Serial Ne. 501,582.

This invention relates to vehicles und has f special reference to a sled designed to be driven across a roxen surface by means of certain tractor wheels.

One object of the invention is to im rove the general construction of devices o this character.

second object of the invention is to provide un improved form of coupling bein-wn the fore and rear bobs of such a Sled.

A third object of the invention is to provide u novel forni of steering gear for uso with u sled ot this character.

.i fourth object of the invention is to provide an improved form of driving geur for a sled of this character.

rith the above und other objects in View the invention consists in general of a pair of sled bobs connected together iu :in improved manner and provided with novel driving and steering mechanism.

The invention further consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of )arts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the ucconmunyinpr drawings, and specifically set forth in the claims.v

ln the eccmnpanyiup,r drawings, like characters o reference indicate like parts in the several views, and Figure 1 is u side levation of an automobile sled constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the cou )ling be tween the front d rear bobs. Fi f. il is a plan view of such a sled with the sleigh body rmnoved. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view throuvh one of the rear runners. l `ig. IS is an enflbelevation of a sled of this shar- .n-lcr. Fig. (i shows the method of connecting the stecrinr runner to the front bob. Fig. 7 is a detai side elevation of one of the rear runners With'the driving wheels removed.

The. numeral 10 indicates a sleigh body and this sleigh body muy be`of any preferred construction. ln this sleigh body is sup- I VILLIAMC. Niemann' 7 i i i l l l l l l l ported the driving machinery which may' )e of any type desired und which is not; deemed necessary here to be shonn inas much as the same forms no art of thc present invention. The sleigh )oily l0 is supported on n front bolster 11 and a rcar boi- ,stcr l2 beingslr secured thereto by means o suitablebolts 13 passing through apertures l-l in the front and rear holsters. Rigidly connected to the rear bolster adjacent each vend thereof is a sleigh ruimer 15 having:r a

pair of spaced eentnllydisposed vertical braces und guide standards 16. These braces or guide standards are )rovided on their proximal faces with V-sliaped grooves 17. Slidubly mounted between cach pair of the guides 1G is a bearing 18, each of the bearings supporting one end of a shaft 19. Upon the shaft 19 is a sprocket Q0 and a chain '1 passes over this sprocket and is led to the driving mechanism, which as before stated is no] deemed necessary to be shown. in order to provide for keeping the tension of the chain 21 constant. while the lxmrings iS slide up und down in the space between the Lguides there is mounted on the body t() u bracket 22 pivotally attached to which is uit arm 23 carrying on its outer end u belt, tightening,r roll 24 and this arm 23 is nor-- malty forced downward by means of a compression spring 95 one end of which bears against the body 10 and the other .end against, the arm. The means here described a re the means for rotating the shaft 19.

Secured upon each end of the shaft 19 outside or the bearings 18 is a tractor wheel 26 provided with cone shaped tractor teeth 27 adapted to engage in the snow or ioe over ..lnch `the vehicle is moving. In order to keep these tractor wheels firmly are cach provided with an upwardly cxtending stem 28 guided at its upper edge ma suitable perforation 29 made in the rear bolster 1Q. Surrounding each of these st cms 28 is a strong spiral com )ression spring 30 which normally forces t 1e bearings 18 and tliu wheels 2tdwnward thus insuring that; the ints 2? ofthe tractor teeth shall en age firm y in the fee or snow over which it is desired to move the vehicle. t

At. the front of the vehicle there 1s provided a pair of spaced sleigh runners Ill which are connected by a front bob bolster 32. 'Ihelmlsters ll and 3Q are secured together by means of a king bolt :S2-S so that the pressed down into the snow or ice the bearings 18 .ster ll.- on the holder 232 the lutter corner it is merely necessary to actuute the tet-ring wheel 52 when the steerin1r bob will he turned in conformity therewith. Thi will tend to turn the t'ront bob, this beinr permitted as previousl)f described by ineiinaV ot' ttie pin :ind slot connection between the two bobo, und the entire sleigh will thus be directed in the desired truck.

prises ii yoke member 3T iivoted to euch of f the ruimere` 15 :is indicate :it 3b'. Thi yoke iiieiiiber thus not oiil'iy forninl one ot the nttiichiiieiits for the front hob but :ih-o sei-ves to hold the front ends of ttie runner 1.3 in

'lhere hns thus beeuorovided u simple und etlicient device of tli'e kind deeribed und toi' the purpose specited.

tt is obvious that minor changes may be niiide in the forni and construction of this invention without depiirting from the nmteriiil principles thereof. tt is not. theret'oi'e desired to contiii'e the invention to the f exuet forni herein lshown und described, but

spiiced rehition und receives the streses on the bolts which iittneh 'the suine to the reiir f" bolster. Attiielied inn siniihir manner to the tion between the two front bob 31 is it yoke 3f).

llftending,y from the iiieiiiber 3T ii in' wixhed to include till such iis properly come wiitiiii the scope, of the appended t'lntnir'. i

lliiving thus described the invention, whiit is 'ehiinied :is new, istforwiirdly directed liiir 40 provided with :in

enhiiged bend -lt hnving ii suituble :ipertui'e therethrough. lltending from the iiieinher It!) is n centrally disposed und rcnrwzirdlil projectingr bur 4:5 provided with n iiiir of spin-ed :ii'euzite heiids 423 euch of which hns pin -h'i extends through the airciiiite slot :ind

the :iperture in the lit-:id

. mounted on the body,

l. ln :i sleigh,

u body, n reiir bob xedly weui'cd thereto,

ii front. bob pivotiilly u ,voke pivoted to yeiu'ti ot' .siiid bobs to swungr in ii vertictil j weond ui'iii extendin'y extending longitudinally thereof :in :trennte Q provided with un endihuving :i liorizt'intuliv 1 :irenute :-lot, und ii pin t nperttired end. und :trennte l\'lot.

4l so that these ports :1re ei'inneeted lirinly together while :it the suine time the two hobfi :ire iillowed to nssunie ditterent ungehir po- :.itious with rehition to euch other :is is necesother curves. By ineiins of this construction if one of the bobs goes over :in obstruction it will rise und fiill und not striiin the connecbobs.

Upon the front bob is ii cross, bur -io sind held beneiith this cross bnr is ii steering ruuner 46. The runner 4G is held upon the eross bur 45 by menus of ii bott 47, which passes through suitiible bull mid socket bezirings #t8 so tliiit the ruimer iniiy be readily turned with reference to the cross bar to und to the front bob. 1n order to turn this ruimer the upper member thereof is irovided with brackets 4t) und to these brueitets und extending rearward! along the runner is connected :in arm 50 w iieh is ciirried on :i steering shaft 51 provided with :i ,steering wheel 52 of any preferred `foi-in. This steering shaft 5l is located iuiniediiitelj. iibove und in alineinent with the pivot point; of the steering runner so that the steering is :ittended with the greet/est ease.

in the operation of this device when itis desired to turn theisleigh to go around :i

pinne, :in iirni pi'ojeetiiig front one of' Suid iokefi provided with iin npcrtured end, :i from the other `voke pura-ing through seid L'. lli n Sleigh. n body, :l l'enr liob fixetllv recur-:d thereto, trut-tor wheels mounted on the rein' boh. epi-ings nornuitly pressing said ,itrnetor wheels downwiird, nieiins to iietuiite sary in going iiiound corners :ind titi-unier nid trui-tor wheels, :i front bob pivotiillv mounted on the body, u yoke pivoted to euch of seid hobs to swing in :i verticiil phine, un iii'iii rejecting from one of said yokes pro- \'ide with :in tipertured end, n second iirin extending from the other yoke provided with iin end lmviiig ii .horizontally arcuatey Slot, ii in passim through siiid apertured end :in arcuate s et.

3. In ai sleigh, ii body, ii reiirfbob fixed thereto, triietor wheels supported on the rein' hob, s rings carried on said reni' bob to iioiiiiiilly force uuid tractor wheels downwzird, ineiins to operate said tractor wheels, n front bob pivoted to the body. ii univer- Sailly jointed connection between siiid bohs, :i steeringr ruimer supported on the front bob, und operiitive menne for said steering rininer.

ln testimony whereof, I atiix my signuture, in presence o two witnesses.

WILLIAM C. NIEMANN. Witnesses:

EnNns'r H. Hmm, AUGUST J. Po'riiiiscninta. 

